Mother (Teka) and daughter (Chloe) are both undergoing treatment for the same type of tumors. I have had the privilege of getting to know them both over the past several years through Grey Matters Fund.

Teka continues to bring awareness each day to the brain tumor population through her positive outlook on life while battling a meningioma.

The following is a post made by Teka…

Today is the first day of May! I Go Grey in May for Brain Tumor Awareness. Chloe and I have Grade II Atypical Meniginoma Brain Tumors with a genetic mutation called SMARCE1 they located at the brainnstem. I get many questions about these tumors. No they are not cancerous but grow like cancer and are constantly in the process of mutation. The location effects our livelihood and daily functions. For every surgery we have had or may have we know the chances of something being effected are present. We have been very blessed that most of the issues have been temporary.
The SMARCE1 trait only has been studied in 90 individuals world wide so we are 2 of 90 meaning little is known. What i know is its a predisposition to have these tumors bc of an error in the dna strand.

“Where there is love there is no effort.” – Amma

We obviously love our people, that’s why we chose to be a caretaker. There are times when we lose sight of why we’ve decided to be a caretaker. In those moments here are a few things to remember.

You’re not alone More than 65.7 million Americans care for their aging or disabled loved ones on a yearly basis*.

Your work is valuable The value of the unpaid care these 65.7 million caregivers provide is estimated to be worth $450 billion*.

You are America’s #1 long-term care provider Family caregivers provide a staggering 90% of long-term care in America.**

You have to care for yourself If you’re not keeping yourself healthy and happy, it’s doubtful that you will be able to do your best for your loved one. Review the caregiver’s bill of rights and remember to take care of yourself.

Help is available If you do decide that your loved one needs more than you alone can provide, Contact your PCP and ask for assistance. They can contact home healthcare agencies and respite care. Most hospitals are staffed with social workers that can direct you to other types of assistance.

You are not alone there are many types of support groups designed to help meet the needs of caregivers. There is a monthly meeting at the Jared Neuroscience Center 7th floor of Cox South hospital in Springfield, MO. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month contact us for details.
If there isn’t a meeting in your area try searching for Caregiver support groups online.

———–* National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP, Caregiving in the U.S., 2004,us_caregiving_1.pdf** Institute on Medicine, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, April 2008, Site

We’re excited to introduce our newest committee members: Laurie Soulsby and Heather Lewis. Both of these ladies bring experience, passion and enthusiasm to our group. We are certain that their skill sets will help further our cause allowing us to help even more people.

Laurie is a member of the CoxHealth Foundation. She has a wealth of charitable fundraising knowledge and experience that will help maximize our efforts.

Heather is a local journalist at KOLR10. She possesses media and public relations skills that will help broaden our reach.